Un imprenditore al servizio dello Stato napoleonico: Stefano Majnoni (1756-1826)

This study contributes to the broader discourse on biographical and prosopographical research by examining the career of Stefano Majnoni, a successful tobacco merchant whose trajectory reflects both typical and distinctive features of the Napoleonic-era entrepreneurial elite. Born in the Lake Como region, Majnoni first established himself in Strasbourg before moving to Lugano, where he founded tobacco manufacturing enterprises serving the German, Swiss and Milanese markets. In 1802, he left his private enterprise to accept an appointment from the Vice President of the Italian Republic, initially managing the royal tobacco factory in Milan and later overseeing the entire state monopoly. He distinguished himself by modernizing production and distribution systems, significantly increasing state revenues. Following the fall of the Napoleonic Kingdom, he retained his position under the Habsburg administration and was entrusted with establishing a new, modern tobacco factory in Hainburg, Lower Austria – an achievement that earned him a noble title in 1819. His career exemplifies the role of the ‘state entrepreneur’ and illustrates an evolving concept of nobility that extended to members of the commercial elite.